The present invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for holding a bottle or container in an inverted position. More particularly, the present invention provides an apparatus that safely and securely holds a bottle or container in an inverted position to obtain the last drop of the contents contained within. The apparatus enables the contents of the bottle or container to accumulate at the mouth of the bottle or container so that they are readily accessible upon opening of the bottle or container.
It is often difficult to extract all of the contents of a bottle or container. Particularly, when a bottle or container contains a heavy liquid such as lotion, detergent, shampoo or glue, it is difficult to extract the last drop. Similarly, bottles containing condiments such as ketchup or mustard require considerable time and effort to empty the entirety of their contents. The difficulty of extracting the last drop of contents within a bottle or container increases as the bottles contents are depleted. The considerable time and effort required to completely empty the contents of some bottles discourages recycling, with many people choosing the trash as the easy alternative.
Several bottle holders have been developed to facilitate extraction of the contents of containers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,280 to Ehresmann (the ""280 Patent) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,753 to Takei (the ""753 Patent) both disclose devices designed to engage the cap of a bottle to hold the bottle or container in an inverted position. The ""280 Patent utilizes a resilient band which biases opposing jaws that capture the bottle cap in order to hold it in an inverted position. The ""753 Patent is a holder made of resilient material which can expand slightly to receive the container cap and yet provide a tight fit in order to maintain the container in an upright condition. Both the ""280 and the ""753 Patents require sufficient engagement force to securely grip the cap. The engagement force can, however, damage the cap upon removal or insertion of the bottle. Further, the engagement force makes removal of the bottle or container difficult, requiring use of both hands. Additionally, because of the low-profile design of both of these Patents, the holders have to be of substantial weight when supporting long-necked or heavy bottles in order to not topple over. Thus, there is a need for an inverted bottle holder characterized by easy insertion and removal of the bottle or container and there is a need for an inverted bottle holder which is lightweight but can still support long-necked or heavy bottles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,904 to Hackley (the ""904 Patent) discloses an inverted bottle holder with one embodiment intended to support closed or capped bottles to collect a portion of the contents in the neck of the bottle for easy access when the bottle is opened. The holder of the ""904 Patent comprises of a base and an upper portion with a spout. The base and upper portion of the ""904 Patent are not integral and must be assembled prior to each use. Additionally, there exists a risk that upon removal of the bottle, the upper portion will remain affixed to the bottle either due to significant wedging resulting from use of larger or heavier bottles or due to adhesion resulting from residue from the bottle contents. There is a need, therefore, for an inverted bottle holder comprised of integral construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,659 to Babcock (the ""659 Patent) discloses a grasping apparatus for grasping and holding containers of various sizes and shapes in an inverted position. The ""659 Patent utilizes a pair of grasping arms selectively adjustable to grasp and hold containers of various sizes and shapes in an inverted position. However, inherent in the ""659 Patent is the risk of the bottle slipping through the grasping arms, particularly in the presence of slippery residue on the outer surface of the bottle or container. It is, therefore, desirable to invert a bottle without the risk of slipping.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,009 to Ouellet et al. (the ""009 Patent) discloses an inverted bottle holder that overcomes several of the problems of the aforementioned prior art. The ""009 Patent discloses a cube-shaped hollow body having a sidewall on each of five sides defining a cavity which is open at a sixth side. Several of the sidewalls have different sized apertures capable of holding the neck of particular sized bottles. The ""009 Patent discloses a simple one piece design which allows for easy insertion and removal of the bottle or container, can support various sized bottles, and avoids risks associated with slipping. However, the overall bulk of the cube-shaped design acts as an impediment to efficient storage (i.e. in refrigerators, cabinets, etc.).
The present invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for holding a bottle in an inverted position. The bottle, or container, typically has either a spout and a shoulder or a tapered neck. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus is comprised of a cylindrical receiving end and a cylindrical support frame. The cylindrical receiving end is sized for receipt of the spout of the bottle therethrough and to provide resistive engagement with the bottle. The cylindrical support frame is integrally connected to the cylindrical receiving end.
In an alternate preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus is again used for holding a bottle in an inverted position. The bottle held in the inverted position has a spout or a tapered neck. The apparatus is comprised of a receiving end, a frame, and support legs. The receiving end has an inside diameter defining an aperture sized for receipt of the spout or neck of the bottle and for restrictive engagement with the bottle to resist further movement of the bottle through the apparatus. The frame of the apparatus, which connects the receiving end to the support legs, has an interior surface defining a cavity in communication with the aperture of the receiving end. The cavity is sized for receipt of the spout of the bottle. The support legs provide structural stability to the apparatus.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus is comprised of a receiving end, a frame, and a lower body. The receiving end, which has an inside and an outside diameter, is comprised of an aperture and a collar. The aperture is defined by the inside diameter of the receiving end and is sized for receipt of the spout or neck of the bottle therethrough. The collar is comprised of a restrictive surface defined by the inside and outside diameter of the receiving end. The restrictive surface of the collar is for engagement with the shoulder of the bottle to resist further movement of the bottle through the apparatus. The frame of the apparatus, which is integrally connected to the receiving end has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The interior surface of the frame defines a cavity in communication with the aperture. The cavity is sized for receipt of the spout of the bottle. The exterior surface of the frame is suitable for grasping. The lower body of the apparatus is integrally connected to the frame. The lower body is comprised of support legs and flexing joints. The flexing joints provide rigid support to the legs while being able to flex slightly to accommodate varying bottle shapes and sizes.
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide an apparatus for holding a bottle in an inverted position which is lightweight, enables easy insertion and removal, and can accommodate a wide range of bottle shapes and sizes. It is a further feature of the present invention to provide an inverted bottle holder comprising of one piece construction for ease of manufacturing and use. It is a further feature of the present invention to provide an inverted bottle holder which prevents the bottle from slipping through the apparatus and which prevents the apparatus from slipping from the user""s grasp. It is still another feature of the present invent ion to provide an inverted bottle holder which is not bulky and enables efficient storage within cabinets, refrigerators, closets, etc.
Other features, and the advantages, of the present invention will be made clear to those skilled in the art by the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.